Is it worth it to hand load for 16" AR 15 ?

[Elroy]

I am one of the few folks that have never had an AR,and just got my first yesterday.I was at Bridgeport Equipment yesterday,and they were selling cheap single shot shotguns for $39 bucks with the purchase of any gun $300,and up.I figured I would look at their guns,and narrowed it down to 3,a Savage Axis 2 hardwood with cheap glass for $360,a Howa 223 bolt (looked like a cheaply made 700 action,and had a cheap plastic rim protruding around the magazine well) it was grey synthetic ,no glass just bases for $329,or $339,I can't remember,and a cheap(optics ready) Del Ton 16" AR for $379..I ended up walking out with the AR,and a cheap ATI 410 (gift for Grandson) for a little less than $450 after tax.I thought about loading for it,but am on the fence.A cheap bullet is around $0.10,and almost $0.15 for powder,and primer..I can pick up cheap Winchester white box for around $40.00 per 150 rounds,which is only about $0.02 more than the cheapest way I could load..I could use that steel case stuff,and save a little more,but I don't think it would be wise..I know the Winchester stuff won't be great ammo,but I don't expect this rifle to be much in terms of accuracy even with good ammo..What do you folks recommend ? I am all ears...Thanks

[Winger Ed.]

I scrounge around looking for bulk packages of factory seconds, or GI bullet pulls.
Midway, Natchez, or Jeff Bartlett are good sources.

Then load them with Win. 748 at about 75% of the max load.

Plenty accurate enough for me with open sights, fun to shoot, not real expensive,
they don't put much stress on the gun, and you're not shooting that shotgun pattern size group-- garbage ammo.

[M-Tecs]

It depends on how much and the type of shooting you are going to do. For blasting the cheap ball is adequate. For varmints/hunting or more serious targets not so much. Some of the really cheap barrels shoot really well. I build match and service rifles. When the AR panic was on it was cheaper for me to purchase the complete uppers verse individual parts. Maybe 25% that I tested would shoot well under 1 MOA, about 50% would be 1 to 1 1/4" MOA and the remained would be around 1 1/2. Out of a couple dozen tested never had one that was much over 1 1/2".

Between competition and prairie dog loads I've never crimped one and I've loaded and fired over 100,000.

[gnostic]

Loading for your AR is worth doing, as your ammo is better quality than store bought military ball. I load Hornady 55 grain SP bullets for around 9 cents each in a once fired case, that I size with SB dies, trim, spruce up the primer pocket and flash hole. My AR-15 in 5.56, shoots MOA with my handloads and about 2.5'' with 193 military ball...

[nagantguy]

Absolutely; you’ll be amazed at just how accurate the M4gery can be and delton seems to produce some barrels that really shoot, Varget is your best friend for loading 5.56/223 in the AR platform.

[Elroy]

Thanks Guys! I just was the impression that 4" groups were all that could be reasonably expected from the cheap light barreled ARs..I load for a Savage Axis in 223,as well as a Henry single shot in 223/5.56.I get good accuracy with both..I have 223 FL dies,but do not have a crimp die .Is it necessary to crimp for the AR ?

[Winger Ed.]

but do not have a crimp die .Is it necessary to crimp for the AR ?

You might not need it for your application, but I'd encourage it.
I use a taper crimp on mine, and have never had a set back issue.

[nicholst55]

IMHO, crimping .223 ammo for an AR is unnecessary. Seems like nobody ever worried about crimping .223 for the first 30 years or so. Then the marketing guys decided that they could sell additional dies if they convinced everyone that they need to crimp. The vast majority of bullets used in this cartridge don't have a cannelure, so taper crimping is the only real option.

[Elroy]

Thanks for all the advise.I appreciate it all.

[oconeedan]

You may find the "cheap AR" will shoot "cheap ammo" better than you expected. I find it hard to justify the time to load for my AR/AK for plinking and playing at the range. BUT, I will load ammo for the AR for hunting, which is limited use.
My reloading time is better used for match guns, hunting ammo, and ammo that is just plain expensive or impossible to find.
Dan

[sghart3578]

Your math is correct, at least as far as my experience goes. The cheapest I can find 223/5.56 around here is $.29 per round.

The primers are $.04 ea and powder at about $.12 per round. 55gr FMJ's are about $.10 ea after shipping so I am not saving a lot.

But I still load a bunch of 223. I still have a pile (thousands) of 55gr FMJ's that I got for about $.04 ea in one of those "too good to pass up" kinda deals. And I am working off 7 lbs. of H335 that was basically given to me.

So with those conditions my ammo is cheap. But if I were paying full price then I would just buy my 223 ammo. My favorite local gun store has 300 rd boxes of Federal Black Packs for $83 plus tax.

Best of luck,


Steve in N CA

[Lloyd Smale]

yup like was posted just for the accuracy alone its worth it. Add to that that it might be close if you compare buying a 100 new brass, powder and primer compared to factory ball but when you factor in that you can use that brass 5 times or more it makes subsequent loadings much cheaper then factory. Also add to that that nobody in the right mind would buy factory new brass for a 556. Most ranges you can pick it off the ground or buy it here for 1/3 the price. Ball bullets can be found cheap and pulled ball bullets even cheaper yet. Do some scrounging and find some brass cheap or free, buy a 1000 ball bullets for a 100 bucks a brick of primers for 30 and powder and you might have 200 bucks into a 1000 rounds. Show me where I can buy it loaded for that.

[dverna]

You can get 6000 Hornady 55gr SP or FMJ for $400 when they go on sale. OF cases are cheap. Reloading makes sense to me.

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for handloads. Recently got a budget 5.56 upper from PSA. First range trip using my first ever 5.56 reloads with mixed range pick-up brass, Hornady 55 gr SPBT's (8 cents each), over AA-2230, with a $35 Tasco scope and mil-spec trigger produced 1/2" 5 shot groups @100 yds. I'm sold.

[GhostHawk]

I would say if you are mostly doing full mag dumps in under a minute, no.

But if you want each round to hit where you put it, then emphatically yes.

I pulled apart a box of tuleammo 7.62x39, weighed each charge and bullet and was shocked at the variance between rounds.
5 grains difference in powder from low to high and near that in bullets.

I know I paid 7 cents for my .223 55 gr fmj, but that was a few years ago.
I have also loaded some squirrel rounds for my single shot .223. 55 gr bator bullet lubed with BLL, over 3-4 grains of Red Dot. Would not cycle the action on an ar, but the were at least as accurate and quiet as a .22lr. 10 shots at a 100 yards, assuming aim point was a squirrel eye, it would have been 10 head shot squirrels. Impact point was some 5-6 inches below original factory sighting point. But it can be done. All depends on what you want to do with it.

[Elroy]

I sure do thank you all.I will end up loading for it..I had no idea that it could possibly be even remotely accurate.I have it scoped now,and got a bipod on it,but will probably get a red dot for it.The scope makes it a pain to get a good pull on the charging handle.

[Texas by God]

I shot a cousin's. 224 Valykrie last weekend that could have used some hand loads. Federal 90gr Fusions grouped 2" @100. My FN15 would do 1" with 80 gr Vmax over H335.

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[Earlwb]

I think that it can be worth it to reload for the .223 Rem or 5.56 Nato. You get to pick and choose the bullets more. Plus it can be cost effective and lower your costs for shooting too. it can be fun and turn into a hobby too.

The low cost ammunition with full metal jacket bullets is very attractive though. But around my area, none of the gun ranges will let you shoot rifle ammunition with FMJ bullets. It could be steel core and tear up the backstops or is a potential fire hazard due to sparks when it hits rocks etc. down range. Unfortunately, the ammunition with hollow point or soft point bullets costs more.

[FergusonTO35]

You can split the difference by substituting quality bullets into cheap ammo. I pull the original FMJ and install Hornady soft points into Tula steel case .223's. My M16 lookalike will make golf ball size groups at 100 yards no problem using the carry handle sights and a bipod.

[Jack Stanley]

A safe bet would be to buy components now while they are pretty cheap and shoot the Winchester white box or similar ammo as you can afford it saving the components for when ammo cost goes nuts again .

Stay away from the steel case ammo for the AR unless you want trouble to find you .

Jack